Jesper Krijgsman uses photography and image editing to bring his supernatural landscapes to life. In his compositions, he uses only photographed natural elements and merges them one by one into a virtual dream world. His digital daydreams show highly detailed worlds in which the mystical qualities of the natural world are magnified. Although bringing everything together is a precise and technical process, it is mainly led by intuition. When placing his elements, he thinks less of the biological properties of certain plants or flowers than of the feeling that they radiate. His inspiration comes from dreams, emotions and fantasies. Although the compositions are fictional, Jesper uses only natural elements in his compositions. Everything you see is reflected in our natural world. By photographing and editing everything himself, the production of his works has strengthened his connection to nature. Through his compositions Jesper hopes to bring the viewer into a world in which biology, dreams and emotions fit together. His goal is to look at nature with different eyes and perhaps a little more empathy and imagination. Jesper was born in Amsterdam in 1992 and lives in Switzerland where he works as a graphic designer and visual artist. He taught himself everything about image editing and photography.
Supernatural Landscapes by Jesper Krijgsman @jesper.krijgsman Zurich, Switzerland
Interview by Contributing Editor: Olya Titova
Jesper Krijgsman: I’ve always been fascinated with visual storytelling and especially digital image editing techniques. I’ve also discovered an inner passion for nature. During my travels, I’ve encountered places that truly felt enchanting. I believe that this magical part of nature is something that is often overlooked these days. For example, the distinctive look of a particular plant is the result of its evolutionary process, or the behavior of certain animals is the result of the adaptation to their environment.
I try to convey an emotion in my work. I challenge myself to do this solely using natural and organic material. I believe that people have an emotional reaction to plants and flowers as soon as they realize it is living matter, that they have to overcome obstacles just as we do.
Although there are scientific explanations for these qualities, I’m often amazed by its creativity and diversity. I try to reflect this ingenuity in my work and explore realms in which this mystical inventiveness is untouched and amplified. In my process of editing my photographed material and placing it onto my digital canvas, I try to let go of everything around me and place my elements based on my intuition. Basically, I am mirroring a landscape that starts to grow: it often changes its course based on its interactions and takes its time before it gets finished.
JK: My profession of a graphic designer goes hand in hand with my artistic journey. I’m used to working with image editing programs on a daily basis. In the process of making my early graphic design work, I learned that I lean towards complex design rather than a minimalistic approach. This tendency didn’t always help me in the making of the graphic work, I was often asked to reduce details in the designs I made. I think that those commentaries fueled my desire to work on something without any constraints, something opposite of minimalism. I challenged myself to work with unconventional material in the digital world. Today I feel that my work is perfectly balanced between the job of a graphic designer in a communication agency and my own projects.
In my work, I try to celebrate the diversity of all that is living, not just it’s beauty, but it’s intelligence and ingenuity.
JK: During my process of photographing plants and animals, I get an intimate look at its properties. I get really excited when in the process of looking for new material to work with, I discover some unique shapes and colors that I have never noticed before. Since everything in nature serves a purpose, I start to imagine how this living being has developed itself into what it is today. I try to convey an emotion in my work. I challenge myself to do this solely using natural and organic material. I believe that people have an emotional reaction to plants and flowers as soon as they realize it is living matter, that they have to overcome obstacles just as we do. In my work, I try to celebrate the diversity of all that is living, not just it’s beauty, but it’s intelligence and ingenuity.
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
Present
Communication & multimedia design (bachelor),
Leidse onderwijsinstellingen,
NL
2015
Preparatory design course,
Zurich University of Arts,
Zurich, CH
2010
Higher secondary general education (HAVO),
Tabor College Oscar Romero,
Hoorn, NL
2019
Group exhibition, Photobastei,
Zurich, CH
2015
Stipendien,
Fritz-Gerber-Stiftung,
Zurich, CH
2015
Annual report title page competition,
Fritz-Gerber-Stiftung,
Zurich, CH
2019
2019
2019
2019
EYE-Photo Magazine,
(pages 112-119),
January 2019,
English
2018
Werk Aan De Muur,
(pages 8-9),
Issue 4, Autumn 2018,
Dutch
2018
2018
Photoshop and Photography Newsletter,
English
2018
2018
Studio Llewellyn,
English
2018
2017
2017
2017
Werk Aan De Muur,
(pages 1, 6-7),
Issue 3, Autumn 2017,
Dutch
2017
Photoshop Magazine,
(pages 16-21),
#51,
Dutch
2017
2016